Pros and Cons of Installing an HVAC Zoning System

Pros and Cons of Installing an HVAC Zoning System

Some like it hot and some like it cold, so it’s sometimes a challenge to set the HVAC system to a temperature that’s just right for everyone. The solution for some homeowners is a zoned HVAC system, where you can maintain different temperatures in various regions, or zones, of the home. But zoning systems have pros and cons: learn what they are below.

How Zoned Systems Work

Although some larger houses may have individual HVAC systems to condition air in particular zones — say, upstairs and downstairs — most of the time, a zoned system is one HVAC system with ductwork distributing air to various zones throughout the house. Zoned systems are controlled by thermostats in each area so that the occupants can set the temperature just as they please. The thermostats send a message to electronic dampers in the ductwork and conditioned air is distributed accordingly.

Pros of Zoning System

Obviously, the major benefit of a zoned system is that occupants of a home can call for a particular temperature in one region while others can call for different temperatures in other parts of the house.

Another benefit of zoned HVAC systems is that they help save on utilities, in that you can turn off the heating and cooling in unoccupied zones.

Also, some zoned systems offer remote controls as well as humidity and fan controls, depending on how sophisticated the system is.

Cons of Zoning Systems

Zoned systems require more equipment than a conventional system, so they are more complicated to install. Setting up the ductwork so that the system is balanced and works as it should can be challenging, so you’ll certainly want an HVAC consultant experienced in installing zoned systems.

You’ll also have more equipment to install and keep up in your zoned system, so obviously, it will cost more than conventional HVAC. What’s more, most things eventually break down, so you should assess whether the possible expense of fixing the electronic dampers or other zoning equipment at some point is cost effective.